Government should back parents by banning social media for children under 16: Julie Cross

It’s the biggest cause of arguments between parents and kids — how much time they spend scrolling on their phones — which is why it’s time the Government stepped up and helped, argues Julie Cross.

Opinion: When both my kids, now in early adulthood, turned round and said they would never let their children go on social media or have a phone until they were at least 16, it was a sobering moment for me.

I guess I kinda messed up then?

What were they looking at back in 2013?

They got phones in the last few months of primary school, which according to them was much later than everyone else. They were not allowed on social media until 13.

We also had rules. No phones in restaurants or at the table, ever. No phones in their rooms at night, ever. And, time limits, which admittedly they would push, all the time. It was exhausting.

They played lots of sport because they wanted to, but in between there were constant battles over screen time, punishments for breaking the rules. Confiscating your kids’ phones is not what you’re meant to do, according to the experts. But I did multiple times. I guess that was another parenting fail.

A generic image of a teen on their phone.

Among my peers at the time our kids’ phone use was a constant conversation.

Back then we had no idea that Instagram and apps like YouTube, which was my kids’ go to, were concocting complex algorithms to make their platforms as addictive as possible and feeding them content that was perhaps harmful.

Let’s face it, we’ve all been sucked in. On the bus to work, every single person is looking at their phone.

While I do not envy parents with young kids trying to navigate today’s online world, they are lucky.

At least we’re now having the conversation about the dangers of social media. Phones have been banned from all public schools and it has been a success. Children are more focused in class, their behaviour has improved and they’re playing sports at break time.

Now there’s a push to ban social media to kids under 16, following our campaign called Let Them Be Kids.

If I had known what I know now, my boys would not have been given a smartphone, or access to apps. But it would have been much easier to say no, if it was against the law.

Back in the 2010s, we didn’t really know what we were up against. Let’s face it we were no match for the billion dollar tech giants and their money-making algorithms. We know more now, which is why Government must have parents’ backs.